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30th august - 3rd october

Overlanding across Afica in our Land Rover Defender: Ethiopia

Andy Lees
2006-05-14 18:15:24

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swiftly in the breeze, we were very much reminded of switzerland.

debark itself is a fairly uninviting town, stretched along the muddy main road. it is, however, the closest town to the simien mountains and it was for treking in those mountains that we were there. we particularly hoped to see the spectactularly hairy, red chested gelada baboons that are endemic to that area.

spending all afternoon and evening drinking ridiculously cheap and very tasty ethiopian lager is not the recommended way to prepare for climbing at altitudes of between 3 and 4 thousand metres, but that's what we did. by way of excuse, it was new year's eve in the gregorian calendar, which is still used in ethiopia - for them it is now 1997.

for new year the bar was full, but that didn't seem unusual. ethiopian music is lively, and the shoulder jerking dance that accompanies it is funny to watch and even funnier to try. the local conversation too entertained; uncomprehensible (to me) in amaraic, the intonation used in this area was falsely high and comic sounding. i couldn't help being reminded of sesame street - "hey burt", "hey ernie"...

the simien mountains - 11th september (new years day)

enough about the drinking though. the baboons were magnificent. as soon as we entered the national park, we came across a whole troop just beside the road. the youngsters skirmished and fell from the low trees whilst the big males postured, manes flowing in the breeze.

later in the day we passed some more. higher up, and within the clouds, they were revealed fleetingly through the swirling mists. dotting the hillside, they squatted, picking the grass. the tearing of roots was audible through the fog, even when it obscured them from sight.

hiking upwards through the steep terrain, the narrow path wove upwards through the afro-alpine climate. passing waterfalls and crossing streams, we were eventually ...